Are You Losing Your Edge?

Complacency, lack of qualified prospects and fear of rejection and discomfort are just a few of the reasons salespeople are reluctant to make new sales calls. One of the main reasons call reluctance sets in is because we might have experienced months, or even years, of success without making new calls – and now our prospecting skills have diminished. I see this all the time. Maybe the industry you’re selling in has gone through tough times or more aggressive competitors started taking away your account base. Whatever the reason, a dry pipeline sounds a clear wake-up call – it’s time to prospect for new business.
Here are five ways to overcome call reluctance and make sure it doesn’t sneak up on you again.

1. Go visit a satisfied account.
Your passion and positive attitude about your profession are critical when making new sales calls. When you listen to how and why your customers benefit from your products and services, it puts you in a positive frame of mind and allows you to transfer that enthusiasm to the next call. It also allows you to collect ammunition to use against objections. So when that new prospect says, “It’s not in our budget,” you can respond: “I can appreciate that. I was with one of my customers today who said the same thing at first, and when they found out how much money we saved them in productivity, it made up for the initial investment. I’d like to see if we could do the same for you.” So not only can you use the success stories – but you can use the confidence you’ve built up as your efforts produce results.

2. Prepare your pitch and benefits statement.
I’ve always said that if someone asks you, “Can you give me three good reasons why I should do business with you?” those answers should be right on the tip of your tongue. So I ask you, what are the three biggest reasons someone should do business with you? What’s in it for them and what added value can you bring to the table that the competition can’t? This exercise will help you create an elevator pitch that you can use when someone wants to know what you do. Completing the first exercise, visiting a satisfied customer, should also help you with this pitch.

3. Always ask for referrals.
Sure, there are good times to ask for referrals, like when a customer tells you how much she loves your product and doesn’t know how she ever lived without it. But we should always be asking for referrals, even if the person we’re talking to doesn’t need our services. Why? Because you never know who they know. If you’ve built any type of rapport, the customer usually volunteers that information. If not, it should be asked in this manner: “If you were in my shoes, what three people would you call on who could benefit from our products and services?” (If you’re asking this of a satisfied customer, just add “like you did” at the end.) Nothing warms a cold call faster than being recommended by a person the prospect knows and respects.

4. Manage your fear.
Fear is a funny thing. It’s what drives people and also drives some people crazy. I interviewed Teddy Atlas, a world-renowned boxing trainer, and he told me: “Fear is like fire. When it’s controlled, it’ll cook for you, it will heat your home, it will do a lot of good things. When it’s not controlled, it will burn up everything around you – consume everything. Same with fear. When it’s controlled, it will make you better. It will make you prepare…it will make you do what you have to do to survive. And if it’s not controlled, it will consume you just like fire; it will destroy you. You have to understand fear is an ally, not an enemy.” Make the fear your ally. Allow it to motivate you, to challenge you and to push you – just don’t let it stop you dead in your tracks. Many times people will say, “I don’t need to call on new business anymore because I get lots of business from my current accounts” or “people always call me.” Then their business goes through a tough time and they’re in trouble, not just because they don’t have any new opportunities, but also because their prospecting skills have gone stale. It is in doing what we fear most that we grow.

5. Feed your brain.
You bring about what you think about. Whether it’s from reading or the people and environment you surround yourself with, there is nothing more powerful than learning when it comes to motivating your spirit and maintaining enthusiasm for life. Some people think they know it all and don’t need to learn anything new, and that’s when they get into trouble. It’s what you learn after you know it all that really counts in life. New knowledge keeps you fresh and focused – and can provide new tools and new ideas to sell and live better. Are you reluctant to make new calls? Then go out and rent the movies Rudy or Invincible, and allow yourself to get swept away by these stories of little guys who surmounted insurmountable odds. Do whatever it takes to generate the fire within to pick up that phone and dial that prospect. It starts with one call.

How to Get Clients When You Hate Asking for Business

Whether you’re starting a business or growing an existing one, you need clients. If you don’t like selling and don’t have a strong referral network, getting clients is a big challenge. I’ve helped scores of entrepreneurs who hate selling grow their business, and in my experience, one of the biggest hurdles is how you feel about selling itself.

If you judge selling as manipulative, you probably try to avoid it, and if you can sell in a way that aligns with your values and your personality, getting clients gets easier.

One of the best ways to do this is to start with warm leads instead of cold calls. This means approching people you know or feel comfortable with.

Here are three key ways to generate warm leads:

1. Contact database

By putting your contacts into a spreadsheet, you’ll find lots of great people you’ve forgotten about.

Download your list of names into Excel with data fields for first and last name, then add two new columns. Call the first column “lead status” and the second one “lead type.” In the status column, mark “warm” or “cold.”

Warm contacts on this list are the people you wouldn’t hesitate to call because you know you’d receive a warm welcome. Cold contacts are everyone else.

In the “type” column, decide whether each person is likely to be a potential client, referral source, mentor or something else. Knowing why you will contact each person in advance makes reaching out easier and desired results more likely.

Once you’ve got the columns populated, filter for the warm leads and reach out to all of them. Target a specific number of calls per day for maximum payoff. You may have to use Google or other research to get phone numbers. If you can’t get a number, then use email as a last resort. Be ready to call or email several times to get a response.

If you want to generate new warm leads, networking is an excellent place to start. Instead of looking only for ideal clients, consider the fact that anyone can be a mutual referral source.

If you’ve exhausted everyone in your network, try someone new you have a lot in common with. You’ll be more likely to grab a cup of coffee with someone who shares your love of hiking and traveling, and that conversation may lead you to your next client. We’re more likely to hire and refer people we know, like and trust, but the foundation of that relationship is often common interests, not a potential to become business partners.

Before you get too far with these strategies, make sure you set up a customer relationship management (CRM) database. This will keep you organized so you remember who you need to call back and know which Cathy was the potential client and which one recommended the great sushi spot.

I recommend an online tool like Less Annoying CRM, Insightly or Highrise HQ if you have a small budget. Excel is great for filtering, but it doesn’t email or text you reminders to follow up, which is crucial for acquiring new business. If you’re not on top of it, you’re wasting your time and throwing out potential revenue. Make sure to keep up-to-date notes about activity, actions you’ve promised and when you need to reach out again.

2. Referrals

Referrals are an excellent warm lead resource. The problem is, when you wait for referrals, they aren’t reliable or plentiful enough to keep your business going. You need to create multiple referral sources and nurture them.

To do this, make a list of your power partners. These are other businesses that serve your target market in a non-competitive way. Let’s say you’re a wedding photographer. Your power partners include makeup artists, florists and DJs. The magic of these partners is that you can all refer each other so it’s a two-way street rather than beneficial to only one of you. If you get a large list of power partners and are in regular contact with them, your referral numbers will increase and become more reliable.

Once you know your power partners, you can look for them at networking events, and you can ask your existing contacts if they can connect you to others. If you’re introduced to an ideal referral source through a mutual friend or contact, you’re both more likely to make the effort to help each other.

3. Speaking

Another great way to get clients and warm leads is speaking. The key to getting clients through speaking is inviting the audience to work with you during your presentation. If you find this step as cringe-worthy as cold calling, here are a few tips:

Determine your core values and desired audience perception. One of my clients values professionalism, integrity and service. With this understanding, we brainstormed how she could invite members of the audience to work with her in a way that made her feel aligned with her core values.

Talk to “your people.” During your presentation, you’ll notice a few people are more engaged than the rest of the room. You’ll know they love what you’re saying by their smiles, head nods and questions. When you make your pitch, have those people in mind. If you make more eye contact with them during the pitch, you’ll feel more comfortable. They’re the people who want to speak with you further, so make them feel invited to do so.

Attend other speaking events. Listen to how other speakers make a pitch. Write down what you like about their methods and what turns you off. Figure out how to integrate the aspects you like into your own pitch.

If all else fails, make sure you have a way to collect names, phone numbers and email addresses at your events. This will give you a collection of warm leads. Enter them into your CRM system and then call them to follow up.

If you start using even one of these strategies, you’ll find yourself with more leads and more confidence. Confidence, in the end, is what makes selling easier.

6 Sales Secrets To Turn A Rookie Into A Sales Superstar

I once worked as a salesman in an insurance company. And, like most salespeople, I couldn’t meet my targets in the beginning. I noticed however, that certain people in my organisation made more sales than all of us put together. So, I got close to some of them and tried to learn their secrets.

Luckily, they were kind enough to let me in. And they taught me that selling is a skill that can be developed, not a special gift one is born with. After following them, I found that my selling improved drastically, and almost immediately. My sales were huge.

So I now believe that like me, anybody can learn the art of selling. But it begins by learning the following secrets:

1Make continuous learning your personal mission

I remember catching a ride with one of my sales managers one day. I was surprised that throughout our ride, he never played music, as I would have done were I the one driving. Instead, he plugged in an mp3 and played a particular talk. It was a huge lesson and I followed suit immediately.

To be a sales superstar, you need to learn every day. The future of “selling” belongs to those with an unquenchable thirst for learning, not just for those who work hard.

Make learning a top priority. Invest in books, seminars and audio talks related to sales, and watch your sales skyrocket.

2Overcome your fear of rejection

This fear is the greatest obstacle you must overcome if you intend to have a successful sales career. Like most newbie sales agents, I found it affected my selling, too.

Luckily, my supervisor became concerned and taught me that selling was basically a game of numbers. In other words, the more I met people, the more likely I would be to make a sale.

That new knowledge fired me up. I started getting new prospects, and when they were not interested in my product, I simply said, “Next!”

To be honest, we are all afraid of something at one point or another. But, to borrow a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “If you would be a great success, make a habit throughout your life of doing the things you fear.”

3Keep your sales funnel full

All sales superstars at any time have more than enough prospects to work on. To get better results in your sales, make sure you don’t lack prospects. If you must, hire someone to help you generate leads.

Most important, make sure you always get referrals after closing each sale. Lead-generation tools like Bant.io and Hubspot are becoming part of more and more companies that desire to streamline their sales, to save some time.

4Make your enthusiasm Infectious

Imagine that a salesman knocks on your door looking tired and worn out. Gazing at you, his eyes filled with disappointment, he pitches you in a whisper.

“My organisation can help you plan your event,” he says. “But then, you don’t really need that, do you? I mean, everybody plans their events these days, except celebrities. You don’t happen to know any celebrity around, do you?”

It will be a cold day in hell before such a salesperson makes a sale. According to Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and one of the nation’s richest salespersons, rightly said:

“One of the huge mistakes people make is that they try to force an interest on themselves. You don’t choose your passions; your passions choose you.”

5Present yourself as a consultant, not a salesperson

When I started my consumer goods business, I asked myself what I was selling. I had groceries for sale in my mart, but when I introduced “Home and office delivery services,” I realised that what I was really selling was stress alleviation, and a good time-saving option.

Once I understood this, I revised how I approached my targets, who were mainly busy professionals. When I met them, I didn’t just start selling my products. Instead, I tried to understand the level of stress their jobs placed on them. I then recommended my grocery home delivery service as a way of helping them reduce stress.

In the same way, you should present yourself as a consultant. Don’t leave anything to chance. Prepare for every sales meeting or call. Dress the part too, and look important. And just as my manager advised me back then, I’d say, take a short-term loan if you have to. Buy better clothes; you could even buy a car with a little down payment. Just make sure you present prospects with the image of a successful consultant.

6Close the sale

Many salespeople don’t ask for the sale. They assume that after their sales pitch, clients will take the initiative to pay. In most cases, however, they postpone it.

You Can’t Succeed At Sales Working In Failure Mode

As an entrepreneur, time is your scarcest resource. You should try to spend each minute of your work life in the most effective way possible. This means reducing the time you spend on sales and increasing the time you spend on marketing. Marketing scales; sales doesn’t.

Let’s look at typical sales activities. You spend a good amount of time one-on-one with individual clients, explaining to them what your products or services are for and what the benefits are compared to the alternatives. You try to influence leads and prospects in a personal way, hoping to turn them into paying customers.

With typical marketing activities, you spend more time on one-to-many approaches – reaching out to audiences with valuable ideas, offering entry-level products and services for free, presenting yourself and your business as authentic and handling any interactions with leads and prospects in a scalable way. Using this distinction, it is clear that sales activities don’t scale, but marketing activities do.

When you have to verbally explain to someone the differences between two versions of your product, you are wasting your time.

You’re doing sales. You should use that time to make it clear to potential clients – using text, audio or video – what you offer in which versions. That’s marketing.

When you’re physically on the road or in a store trying to convince leads and prospects that your products and services are great, you are doing sales. It would have been more effective to use that time making your products and services so awesome, that word gets around and clients are lining up to get a piece of the awesomeness. That’s marketing.

When you are personally leading people around your store, showing them your wares and getting them to test some products, you’re in sales. When you enable people to try things for themselves and use the internet for information, you’re in marketing.

Your ultimate goal is to reduce the time you spend on sales to zero, and spend it all on marketing. Granted, it is unlikely that you will ever truly reach zero, but it’s a useful goal. Part of the marketing job is prioritising ideas and requests for development. The end goal is to make things awesome. The service department is also an area where marketing plays a role because all client contacts are opportunities for marketing.

When you have products and services that are great, people should be eager to be your customers. If that is not the case, you lack in marketing, not in sales.

Some people will argue that there are products and services that require a personal touch. Some would say, for example, that you cannot just have people test drive a Mercedes-Benz E-Class without a salesperson guiding them through the process. I disagree.

High-end products do require a personal touch, but that’s not sales; that is a service people pay for. This service comes with the product. It starts before the actual purchase, and it extends far after. Thanks to great development, service and marketing, the customer should already have made up his or her mind.

The “salesperson” is not spending any time selling anything to the client. Marketing should have already influenced and convinced the client. The salesperson just makes the purchasing process an enjoyable experience, which is the premium service the client pays for.

Don’t waste time on sales because sales activities don’t scale. You are operating in failure mode. It indicates that development, service and marketing were not able to make and communicate something that customers think is awesome. And it’s only awesome for you when you can scale it, and when clients pay a premium price for personal service.